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Complete Festival Schedule |
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Media & Press |
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2003 MIAMI GAY & LESBIAN FILM FESTIVAL UNVEILS PROGRAM LINE-UP:
Miami, Florida - March 17, 2003 - The prestigious Fifth Annual Miami Gay & Lesbian Film Festival, presented by Absolut and Southern Wine & Spirits of South Florida, has unveiled the line-up of the best gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered films that will be featured during the 10 day event from April 25th to May 4th. The screenings will take place at the historic Gusman Center of the Performing Arts (in downtown Miami), the Jackie Gleason Theater, Regal Cinemas (both on Miami Beach) and Cinema Paradiso (located in Fort Lauderdale). The announcement was made today by Executive Director Phillip Matthews and Program Director Carol Coombes. The 10 day festival will kick-off on Friday, April 25th with the Opening Night Gala presentation and East Coast Premiere of Mark Rucker's Die Mommie Die starring Charles Busch, Jason Priestley, Natasha Lyonne and Phillip Baker Hall, at the Gusman Center. On Wednesday April 30th, the Festival will present the Centerpiece Gala screening of Richard Day's Girls Will Be Girls starring Jack Plotnick, Clinton Leupp and Jeffery Roberson at the Gleason Theater. The Festival closes on Sunday May 4th with the Closing Night Gala presentation of Brad Fraser's Leaving Metropolis at the Gleason Theater. "The 2003 Festival promises to be better than ever, celebrating our entire community with the presentation of 80 funny, provocative, steamy and thought provoking films" said Phillip Matthews, Executive Director of the MGLFF. "We are thrilled to present our exciting line-up of films to South Florida audiences and welcome a growing number of film enthusiasts to experience what our Festival has to offer." This year's festival program will include a record number of films from Spain, Brazil, Argentina, Taiwan, Italy, India, Australia, Germany, Canada, France, Norway, Netherlands, United Kingdom and the United States. The finalists were selected from a record number of film submissions and include features, documentaries and shorts. The Festival has focused on celebrating the best of Queer International Cinema; with programs such as "Global Passions" featuring acclaimed short films from around the world. The Festival has also partnered with MIX Brasil to showcase short films originating from South America. "In balancing our program this year, we have introduced more films for women, and films that challenge what it means to be gay and lesbian. We continue to build on our reputation as the leading United States gay and lesbian venue for films from Spain and Latin America, and by U.S. Hispanic directors," said Carol Coombes, Program Director. The Festival's film line-up will be launched on Saturday, April 26th, with the U.S. and North American premieres of Suddenly (Tan de repente) an Argentinean feature by Diego Lerman, Eden's Curve by Anne Misawa, Lisistrata a Spanish feature by Francesc Bellmunt, Valentin a Spanish feature by Juan Luis Iborra, Do I Love You? a UK feature by Lisa Gornick, World of Love an Italian feature by Aurelio Grimaldi, The Bulgarian Lovers a Spanish feature by Eloy de la Iglesia and the controversial U.S. documentary The Gift by Louise Hogarth. The Festival commences on Friday, April 25th at the Gusman Center, with its Opening Night Gala screening of the East Coast premiere Die Mommie Die, by Mark Rucker, starring Charles Busch, Natasha Lyonne, Jason Priestley and Phillip Baker Hall. This debut film from veteran theater director Mark Rucker features fabulous costumes, extravagant sets and a divinely overwrought musical score. But it is the ensemble cast led by Charles Busch, who received a Special Jury Prize for Outstanding Performance at this year's Sundance Film Festival, who bring to life this melodramatic parody which combines Hollywood sudsters such as Mildred Pierce starring Joan Crawford, A Stolen Life with Bette Davis and Madame X featuring Lana Turner. Beyond mere drag, Busch in fact channels the greatest divas of yesteryear. Charles Busch and Mark Rucker will attend the screening. Comedian Bruce Vilanch will M.C. On Wednesday, April 30th, at the Jackie Gleason Theater, the Festival will present its Centerpiece Gala screening of Girls Will Be Girls, by director Richard Day. The film starring Jack Plotnick (Evie), Clinton Leupp (Coco) and Jeffery Roberson (Varla) is about three actresses at various places on the Hollywood food chain who navigate the minefield of love, aging and ambition. And, they are all played by men! Jack Plotnick, Clinton Leupp, Jeffery Roberson and director Richard Day will attend the screening. On Sunday, May 4th, at the Jackie Gleason Theater, the Festival will hold its Closing Night Gala screening of Leaving Metropolis, by director Brad Fraser. The film is about the effect that two men's love for each other has on the women in their lives. Love, hate, life and death all have a place in this contemporary story about a group of thirty-something urbanites, who have difficulty with the prickly realities of life in the 21st Century. Director Brad Fraser will attend the screening. The ten day festival includes the "Short and Seen" Short Filmmaker Panel at the Jackie Gleason Theater on May 4th. The panel will feature in depth discussions on short filmmaking, exhibition and distribution moderated by Joanne Butcher (IFP) and featuring panelists Desi del Valle (Frameline Distribution Director), Jeff Crawford (Canadian Filmmakers Distribution Centre (CFMDC)), and Maria Lynn (President / Wolfe Video). The 4th Annual Planetout.com Short Movie Awards, sponsored by Avis and presented by MGLFF and PlanetOut.com, will be screened on May 4th at the Jackie Gleason Theater honoring the best in Queer short films featuring Documentary, Experimental, Animation, Drama, and Comedy categories. Last years Festival award winners included A.K.A. (Best Feature), Daddy & Papa (Best Documentary), Touch (Best Short-Britto Award), Guardian of The Frontier (Special Jury Award -Britto Award) and Ruthie & Connie: Every Room In The House (Audience Award).
The sponsors of the Miami Gay & Lesbian Film Festival include Absolut, Southern Wine & Spirits, Avis, HBO, Clear Image Creative Group, Miami Herald, Party 93.1 FM, Regal Entertainment Group, Club Maze / Lime Bar, Genre, Miami New Times, Laurent Perrier, Robert Mondavi Wines, The Express, Miami-Dade Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce, Planet Out.Com, TWN, Ultra Events.com / Pandora Events.com, The Wire, Words on the Beach among many others. The Festival also receives generous support from the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs, the Miami Beach Cultural Arts Council, the Miami Beach Visitor and Convention Authority and the Gay & Lesbian Foundation of South Florida. For screening tickets call MGLFF at 305-534-9924 or online at www.mglff.com.
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